Stolen Vehicles Worth £1.1m Recovered in Eastern Europe

Chalk up a win for the good guys, as detailed finance data and shared intelligence helps recover stolen cars;

The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), supported by data from Solera cap hpi, has helped secure the seizure of 41 stolen finance vehicles across Europe in 2025, with an estimated combined value of £1.14 million.

Most of the vehicles were identified in Romania and Bulgaria, highlighting the continued success of international collaboration in tackling organised vehicle crime.

NaVCIS, a UK national police unit sponsored by the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA), works with overseas law enforcement agencies to identify and recover stolen vehicles that have been fraudulently obtained through finance agreements.

A key element of this work is access to Cap HPI vehicle data, which enables police forces and vehicle registration authorities across Europe to quickly and accurately identify stolen UK finance vehicles.

Sharon Naughton, head of NaVCIS, said: “The seizure of stolen vehicles is important because it disrupts criminal activity, removes illicit assets from criminal hands and helps restore vehicles to their rightful owners.

“Working in partnership with Solera cap hpi, the specialist team at NaVCIS uses and shares intelligence to strengthen cooperation with European law enforcement agencies and identify stolen vehicles across international borders.”

The vehicles are typically acquired by offenders who have possession of the keys and obtain finance through a dealership, either in their own name before deliberately failing to make repayments or fraudulently using a false identity.

Chris Wright, regional vice president at Solera, said: “The same trusted HPI data that gives consumers confidence when buying a used vehicle is also helping law enforcement agencies disrupt organised criminal networks across Europe.

“By working alongside NaVCIS, we are using technology and real-time vehicle intelligence to trace stolen finance vehicles and support their recovery.

“Strong partnerships between the private sector and law enforcement are essential to staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated vehicle criminality. We are proud that HPI intelligence is playing a practical role in recovering vehicles and protecting finance providers and motorists alike.”

Solera cap hpi sponsors the provision of its vehicle data to law enforcement agencies across Europe, enabling them to take proactive steps in identifying stolen vehicles in the process of being re-registered to change their identity and evade detection.